A presentation of student research

During construction, there may be a significant amount of noise produced from pile driving and boat traffic. These are both known to cause avoidant behaviors in marine mammals and have been observed during offshore wind construction and development. 1, 2, 10 Additionally, drilling, cable laying, and construction will disturb the seabed producing increased suspended sedimentation, which can affect the feeding and reproductive habits of certain organisms. 11

The effects of decommission of a wave surge converter are expected to be the same as construction: noise, sedimentation, and habitat interference. Studies of colonization of offshore wind structures and wave power buoys have shown to act as fish aggregation devices (FAD) otherwise known as artificial reefs. 12 There have been observations of significant biomass aggregation over the years at these locations as the hard substrates are colonized, from the moorings of powerbuoys to the scour protection of wind turbines and monopile surfaces, aquatic organisms have claimed the farms as their own. Ongoing research will continue to monitor the areas, but as of yet, there appear to be no significant negative effects. 1,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 Currently, there have been no studies on how organisms colonize newly installed wave surge converters nor how they respond to the removal of a device from the environment. Impact of decommission will depend on how the devices integrate into the environment. 3,5, 11